Field
The present disclosure generally relates to test fixtures for electronic chips and devices.
Description of the Related Art
During production of electronic chips and devices, the devices undergo a series of end of line tests to ensure product quality and integrity. For each product, a test fixture is designed that interfaces with the various pieces of test equipment. The cost of test fixtures can increase significantly with increased product complexity, specifically with the inclusion of RF testing hardware. Due to the complexity and precision required to test the products, individualized test fixtures need to be built for each new product. Even though many of the products are similar, and products within the same families shared similar features, or even the same or similar test procedures, many times the test fixtures are not compatible. As such additional test hardware and components are required for each test fixture, contributing to high inventory cost and a seemingly unnecessary duplication of test hardware.
The test fixtures have to be manufactured to very high degree of precision. For example, a device under test (DUT) may only be one millimeter thick and a misalignment of a fraction of a millimeter can cause problems during testing. As such each test fixture is designed specifically for the DUT. Even with this degree of precision, normal operation of the test equipment, such as vibration, can cause problems during testing. Additionally, if a component on the test fixture breaks or needs to be replaced, it can require a significant amount of time and an almost complete disassembly and reassembly of the fixture.